Electric safety centering device



Dec. 30, 1947. LAYVERNE DlcyKENs 2,433,743

ELECTRIC SAFETY CENTERING DVICE Filed .my 19, 1945 Inventor PalentedDec. 30, 1 947 ELECTRIC SAFETY CENTERJNG DEVICE La Verne Dickens,Montour Falls, N. Y., assignor of Iifty per cent to John E. Osborne,Elmira,

Application July 19, 1945, Serial No. 605,881

.1 K This invention is a safety device both for oper. ator and work andhas for a primary object to pro. videy means whereby a false or offcenter may not occur in any machine or tool in which centering isessential to a proper performance f the work without the knowledge ofthe operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide lelectrical signallingmeans for indicating on or 01T center of a, piece of work in a machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indicator of a naturewhich will save injury or possible loss of life of an operator, save thebreaking of tools, machinery, scrapping of work, loss of time, etc. andto speed up production and remove fear complex of the operator resultingin easier and more efficient operation,

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional View of a lathe embracing myinvention, and

Figure 2 is a similar detail view of a tail stock center thereof.

In the accompanying drawings as above enu'- merated and in the followingspecification, like characters of reference indicate like partsthroughout and in which I0 is the machine used for illustration purposesand is a lathe comprising a head stock I2, a tail stock I3, centers I4and I5, an arbor I6 for supporting the work Il, a driver I8, dog I9, anda clamp nut 20 to secure work to the arbor.

The above designated lathe members I4, I5, I6, I8, I9 and 20, are formedof a non-conducting alloy, hard liber or plastic and the cores 2l,

22 and 23, of members I4, I5 and IIi, respectively are of steel.Connected to the outer terminal 25 of core 22, is an electric conductorwire 26, A

and connected to the'outer terminal 21 of center I4, is a similar wire28, said wires leading to a source of current. Included in the circuitof said wires is a preferably green signal lamp 29 and a fuse 30, whichis a safety fuse adapted to blow when and if the lamp 29 is burned out.

The cores 22 and 23 contact one another only when the terminals 3| and32 of the tail/stock end meet on exact center. Similarly the cores 23and 2I contact one another only when the terminals 33 and 34 thereoftouch one another. Therefore, the circuit embracing lamp 29 cane not beclosed to light the lamp except when said is regarded as unnecessary.

1 claim. (o1. '17u-311) 2 terminals 3l, 32, 33 and 34, are all incontact with one another and the lighting of the lamp 29 indicates thatsaid elements i4, I6 and lI5 are exactly centered upon one another.Theleast deviation of the centering of' these members will cause thelamp to goout and thus indicate to v the operator of the machine thatthere is an olf center and probable danger to himself or work throughbreakageof parts of the machine on the.

work. Y

It is thought that persons skilled in the'art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description Changes in shape, size andrearrangement details and parts such as come within the purview of theinvention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired. `jHaving now described my invention that which I claim as new and desireto procure by Letters Patent is: j

In a lathe including spaced centers and an intermediate .arbordetachably supported'therebetween and in axial alignment therewith, saidcenters and arbor being formed of a no-elec.

tricity conducting material and having iiurially aligned borestherethrough, electricity conducting cores of relatively small diameterin said alignedk bores, a signal light, and source of electric energysupply connected with the cores of said centers, whereby an electriccircuit will be completed therewith to operate said signal light if andwhen the cores in said centers and arbor are in exact axial alignmentone with the other and with said cores in electric contact with eachother.

- LA VERNE DICKENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I le ofthis patent;

Number vTnnrrxn STATES PATENTS *i FOREIGN PATENTS Country Number DateFrance "J'uly 11,1938

